What others are saying about my work
“I loved Nicola’s one-on-one sessions and drew a huge amount of inspiration from them. They gave me new perspectives on looking at my work and process. Being able to reflect upon my artistic ideas and methods through creative writing, guided by a professional writer, was a unique experience for me and very rewarding. Nicola’s workshops helped me prepare catalogue text for my solo exhibition, Trapped, in 2015. I highly recommend any artist to attend one of Nicola’s workshops or to work with her individually.”
“Your passion for writing is evident in your teaching style. You are sharing with us a great joy. Your style says, ‘Come play with me.’ Never dry or stuffy or dictatorial, but inspirational and encouraging…The anonymous readings of longer pieces were an essential element. I feel that hearing another’s writing somehow validates the process; and there is something powerful at play in the sharing—emphasising our uniqueness in our stories, but also recognizing our common humanity.”
“Like a grey ghost, for decades I hungrily shadowed the histories of others in the belief their stories were far more compelling than my own. [Nicola] opened fresh summer breezes onto wintry landscapes. In a private sanctuary, precious stories unfolded lovingly and tenderly. We shared the magnificence of each other’s histories in all their ugliness and beauty. I spilled my story onto pages and farewelled the strictures of the sub editorial craft. The artist was given free rein. It was exhilarating.”
“Just at this moment I’d like to really, truly and deeply thank you…for easing me out. If it hadn’t been for your generous and gentle workshops over the past few years, I would still be an audience member and not an active participant in poetry performance, recitals and other such events. I deeply appreciate you, Nicola. Just so you know.”
“Nicola-Jane le Breton is an excellent writing teacher: warm and supportive, insightful, and always heartfelt. Because of that, she’s uniquely able to get to the heart of why a piece of writing works and to help the writer to carry on from there. She is also a gifted writer herself, who has had the courage to plunge headlong into Freefall Writing and to let the process carry her. The results in her writing have been magnificent.”
‘The thing I loved most today was when you laughed so much you cried after taking on the voice of a character saying: (this could be paraphrasing) ‘… it’s all yours baby…but later…’
… I feel doubly blessed to be in your class. Love the way you do it all, Nicola, always a delight and a joy to spend time with you and words and women. What a nourishing time – laughing, crying, laughing and eating cake together.”
“I LOVED your writing workshop and I learnt that everyone has a different way of thinking and they like different things and they all write differently, so really no one is bad at writing. And realising that no one was that bad at writing made me happy because I always thought I was a very bad writer! :-)”
“…the doorway of life. It’s all there if you stop to look inside and write. A great experience for me – it’s an exciting thing to see where we might go from one level to another.”
“I have learned that everyone’s story is my own and I enjoy the patina of richness we have shared so openly together… I loved the challenges you constantly threw us… I often felt I couldn’t do the topic justice. But I found the writer was just longing to write. You uncovered her with uncanny skill. Thank you for believing the muse is alive and well in each one of us.”
“I loved having the opportunity to have time to write, the gentle non-intrusive guidance as to how to go about it, the opportunity to have others listen to what I’ve written, and the encouraging non-threatening atmosphere to do it in. Thank you, Nicola. What I most love is the way you always have something positive to say about each piece.”
“I have always personally benefited from attending your classes. I remember a time when I said I couldn’t write. But I have had my eyes opened to the delights of sharing story: mine and others. I have learnt and been inspired by many simple but effective techniques that tap into the deep well of life experience. I have been gently guided to show the nuances that colour story as opposed to reporting the deed. I feel I am learning and improving my ability to use words to paint a picture. I value the confidentiality and the dynamic it creates for a small group of people to submerge themselves into the experience and candidly share stories without fear of judgement.”
“Using discarded items from the Tip Shop engrained with other people’s lives to trigger our own unique memories, images and metaphors was a very enriching experience for a first timer to writing – me. Nicola suggested, without pushing, “taught” without teaching and encouraged continuously each person’s unique style of expression. The Tip Shop’s education room gave me a perfect environment for stimulating associations, reflecting on items and events of the past, of my life.”
“I definitely need you as an online mentor! I feel so encouraged when I hear back from you . . . makes me want to race to my study and start typing again. I feel excited and brave… So thanks for the positive feedback and keep it pouring in.”
“Oh my goodness Nicola I feel so touched by your remarks. You have given me so much. From the first writing group I did with you and our group at the time. My grasp of reality, my view, the way I perceive has been changed and continues to both fundamentally and globally, if that makes any sense. It’s been so big that it has been very difficult to capture it with words. …I am trying because I want you to know what a pivotal part you are playing in my life… Thank you so much for all you have shared with me, for all your effort and time and your commitment to the truth, and your integrity, which made it easy for me to trust and share, and for your love.”
“What an inspiring piece of writing. I even showed my husband this morning at brekkie, saying, “She’s great. She puts so much thought and energy into our course.” So thanks for your input; it’s definitely helping my confidence.”
“I’ve just read your feedback… Gee thanks for all that. It’s so helpful. I can see clearly and excitedly where I could go with your suggestions. …Sometimes there are so many little tributaries of a story that could be followed; but there is a pull for me – maybe my control problem – that wants to keep the story on track. ”
“Your feedback on my writing is just wonderful. I want you to know how helpful every marking, every word that you give back is so helpful and that it opens up more and more avenues I could follow and ways I could move in closer to what I’m writing. It makes me very excited. Thanks so much for this help. You are amazing.”
“Nicola-Jane le Breton’s prowess as a community story sharing and writing facilitator is quietly astonishing. I have been fortunate to experience both short and long term impacts and ripples from being embraced in Nicola’s nurturing and safe space to write and share within my community and beyond…Nicola allows stories yet unimagined to unravel, and voices and words found to fit them, and holds a space for all to listen up good…My community has been enriched by both finding our own stories and learning to listen to old old tales in new ways. I think Nicola-Jane has re-awakened and unleashed the storyteller and deep listener in us all, for which I will always remain grateful.”
“Nicola and Silvia have created an incredibly rich, multi-faceted invitation to and experience of the world of the story and the art of storytelling in this retreat/workshop/experience. It will probably take you out of your comfort zone, but I really recommend going along for the ride—you will have an incredible journey and will come back with a deep well of story inspiration to work with.”
“This inspirational writing/storytelling retreat… has been a gift and an absolute delight to be part of! The well thought-out and orchestrated programme delivered a depth of experience that helped me to access a well of creativity that had long lain undiscovered. Thank you!.”
“If you’re ready for new beginnings, and don’t know where to start, this is the course for you. If you’re yearning to spark a fire, get in touch with the natural self, this is the course for you. If you’re feeling like you’re ready to burst, and the pressure is starting to hurt, this is the course for you. Thank you, Silvia and Nicola.”
“I felt so safe and so held and, in that, felt able to delve deep and explore. There was a perfect balance of freedom and boundaries that really allowed creative flow.”
“You have a great gift for facilitating, Nicola. The care and compassion you have for your participants is clear. I really appreciated your gentle, patient, persistent coaching of all our expressions of ourselves. It was a very safe and comfortable environment, and to do what I have been trained out of for 35 years was a bit scary.”
“This storytelling retreat should be experienced by everyone. It was so enriching: connecting with others and the land in a creative way. It was so supportive that whatever was said was welcomed and heard. To hear another’s story is really a privilege. It’s a wonderful way for us all to connect.”
“I feel that any project dreamt up or supported by Nicola has a special magical and ‘anything is possible’ aura, which she brings to it. …Our current storytelling collaboration, The Spindle of Spoken Story, was sparked by Nicola, and she continues to be the dynamic and enthusiastic driver of this project. A participant in the project herself, Nicola shines with an innate talent for keeping her audience enthralled with her lyrical storytelling. Thanks to her dedication, we have had storytelling workshops and experiences led by local indigenous elders as well as visiting storytellers from Canada, Sydney and Perth as part of our project.”
“…[Nicola] has been exceptional, demonstrating an ability to listen to community members and encourage them to embrace the joys and challenges of writing. …She is community-focussed working both in a paid and voluntary capacity to encourage local people to express their stories and the stories of their town… Nicola is passionate about literacy and the potential for story and poetry to transform people’s lives.”
“Nicola has contributed significantly to the development of the CSL [Centre for Sustainable Living], providing ideas, running writing workshops and helping administer many of the great education and community development programs run at the Centre. Most recently she conceived and organized our inaugural Nature Writers’ Retreat, Writing in the Wild 2011, which was acclaimed a great success by all facilitators and participants involved. She also supported the Sustainable Men’s program and several youth arts programs and was our Writer-in-Residence at the Tip Shop in 2011.”
“I witnessed the work of Nicola-Jane le Breton during the recent Writing in the Wild Nature Writing Retreat – an event that Nicola conceived and brought to fruition with little support from elsewhere. Her work was most impressive in its thoroughness and care. Nicola dealt with the many people involved with consideration and respect to each one, even during the times of inevitable organizational stress. She showed a high level of professionalism in her attention to the many small and large tasks involved in pulling together such an event. Her excellent organizational skills were matched by her well-balanced approach to completing all the various tasks (publicity, forms, event and volunteer management, catering etc) and highly refined interpersonal skills.”
“…it was clear that the model of personal story telling and public performance embodied in Unravelling: Denmark Stories could be a profound way of nurturing community development – in a whole range of communities. If community development starts with individuals knowing and growing themselves and their capabilities and works towards groups understanding themselves in the same way then there could hardly be a better place to start than with life writing… By working together as a group, expressing themes that are shared and universal, there is much greater opportunity for support, nurturing and growth of both the individual and the group. Writing is a very accessible art form – picking up a pen is much less threatening than picking up a drawing pencil…From my experience in Denmark I would be happy to recommend the Unravelling model to other communities which are looking at different and innovative ways to build community cohesion and strength. It is a very grassroots, bottom-up process to empower people and their communities.”
“I have been actively involved in Nicola’s community writing classes and training programmes for the last seven years. …Each group is made to feel safe as regards confidentiality, and…Nicola makes everyone feel comfortable with their own abilities. She listens to, guides and challenges people most capably… She invites and excites a group to go deeper as she sees the processes relating to her topic maturing and developing. I have seen her work in all kinds of situations and with all sorts of people… Change is welcome with Nicola. She understands group processes extremely well and meets individual needs with ease and respect… I have found it a delight to be part of the invitation to the possibilities inherent in her rich sense of creative community.”
“Thank you so much for your incredible organising of the Retreat and for your passionate vision to bring writers and naturalists together…The Retreat was a very special and memorable time for me…That the Retreat went so seamlessly is testimony to your dedication, vision and consistent attention to the details involved. My gratitude to you for making the idea become a reality.”
“I feel…that it is your poetry group workshops [that] have created such depth of commitment, cohesion and creativity in the Denmark writing community. It was my privilege to come into that atmosphere and build on it.”
“I just wanted to congratulate you all for the most amazing performance yesterday. I honestly feel it was the BEST performance I have seen in Denmark (and that’s over 9 years!).
It was so true, raw, beautifully authentic with a gorgeous Denmark flavour. Different women’s stories, similar experiences, our interconnection with all things. I really enjoyed the visuals and music too. Well done! Thank you for all your time and energy.”
“… I enjoyed the Unravelling Show..in fact I was spellbound for it’s duration. It was one of the rare performances that I didn’t want to end, I wanted it to slow down so I could take it all in and would have happily enjoyed an immediate repeat performance. I felt as if all of the women were speaking directly to me and recognised aspects of my own experiences in their stories. Their courage, honesty and rawness in sharing spoke deeply to my soul. There was sadness, longing and humour, tears, fears and laughter. Just beautiful. I think what I most enjoyed was that feeling that we are really all one, that commonality of experience.
I think the insight I gained, or rather remembered was that underneath we are all vulnerable little children, carrying all the experiences of our lives within us and often responding or reacting to others as a result of these.”
“I particularly want to express to you and your team how much I enjoyed ‘Unravelling: Denmark Stories’ on Saturday night. At the surface there is a deceptive simplicity about the entire performance, but this is belied by the shifting currents of the material itself. Often dark and complex, the emotions revealed and engendered by this work are obviously felt intensely, both by performers and by audiences. Though ‘Unravelling’ is primarily concerned with women’s stories, I think the appeal is universal, and the drama, fear, tragedy and laughter which swirl across the stage in rapid succession are deeply appreciated by everybody present, as far as I could see….And the musical input was really evocative; I loved the work of the musicians, as they wove the sounds in with the images throughout the night.
…I did not expect a ‘small-town’ dramatic production to be so powerful and absorbing, and again I thank you all for the experience.”
“Thank you, thank you and congratulations to all who committed body, soul and time to give us the magnificent experience of “Solace and Yearning”. How does one begin to describe such an experience? Was it theatre, art, or indeed worship? A historical theme or a Holy Story? Deeply moving, poignant, beautifully conceived and exquisitely presented. A triumph! A Passion Play of today. Thank you all”
“Powerful, beautiful, intriguing, emotional, captivating, awesome, thank-you so much for the opportunity to share in this deep performance and healing of history and presence, blessings to you all.”
“S+Y was a powerful and moving performance. I felt integrated into the experience, not just a viewer of it. It spoke to me of sorrow, acceptance & connection. I felt moved through a range of emotions. Sadness through to deep connection. I was impressed with the simplicity and intimacy of the messages. S+Y carried and delivered some of the healing power of this place the river, the general Denmark area and its people. Past and present.”
“Yet another beautiful piece. One with multi-layered gifts to all involved. I love being able to feel the grief openly with others and begin healing wounds I only know are there because of the intense emotions which swell in me when these issues are raised. Thank you – I hope these chapters are just the beginning of our community’s healing and empowerment to face the hard stuff together.”
“I found the show deeply moving, healing, thought provoking. I wanted to break down and howl…… I wanted to put on silk and curl into a tree, slip on cool mud and slide into the river……. I was made aware of my separation and the delicate longing to be a part of. Touched exactly my confusion and guilt but so beautifully drew out compassion. …… for the first people and the new who toiled so hard. I hope many more get to see it. I feel it is a piece that stands equal to any world class contemporary performance. Thank you to all involved.”
“I believe most people who watched the Secret River where triggered in some way or other – whether they liked it or not. Overwhelmed, saddened, stirred, intrigued, touched, annoyed, emotional, angered, inspired, curious, offended. The Secret River performance offered something for everybody to look at in terms of connection- disconnection and the set of expectations around that duality in the contemporary socio-cultural Australian context.”